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DOES MUMTAZ LIKE IT IN TAJ?

I’ve probably known about the Taj Mahal since I was seven years old; it’s one of those iconic monuments whose form is burned into your world imagery at childhood. I’ve seen it on the calendars, the incredible India bus, cards, as pieces of decoration, on television but I hadn’t ‘seen’ it until last month.

From my childhood days, I remember asking my father to plan a trip so that I could see the Taj Mahal but he would say that summer break was too hot in Agra and winter break was too cold and that both these timings would make me fall sick. And of course the rest of the year I had school. (I am sure he tried but probably it wasn’t time yet.)

So after a really long wait, Desert Rose went to see this symbol of love last month and yes she loved it.

The Taj Mahal is one of those works of genius craftsmen that when you actually experience it in person you finally get it. You get why you’ve seen pictures of this place since you were a kid; you get why millions of people come here every year; you get why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and on the New Seven Wonders of the World list.  It’s incredibly beautiful and you just get it.

As a resting place for a beloved wife, the tranquil simplicity of the interiors of the central chamber with the impressively hollow domed ceiling is an aspect to be appreciated as much as its grandeur on the exterior. But the crowds of tourists, who were so comfortably spaced-out in the gardens, were now bottle-necked into a shuffle through the central mausoleum and that made the last bit of the Taj experience slightly less awe-striking as that initial moment. But that first glimpse was all it took to understand why this place is so incredible.

So reaching that chamber which was too crowded and had flashlights blinking nonstop, I just couldn’t help but wonder is she really happy there? Does she get any peace of mind at all during daytime? Does Shah Jahan feel like asking all of us to get out so that they have their space? I have no idea why but I seemed to be concerned. As I left the chamber and started walking towards the gateway, I started reading up more on this monument and realized that the 'actual' graves of Emperor and Mumtaz are not open for public view. What a normal visitor sees is just a facade. The actual graves are located 7 meter below the artificial one, locked behind a metal door. No one is allowed to go through those doors, ever. After reading this I just smiled to myself. I think they are happy down there and we are lucky up here to see such a wonder. (Many would have been aware of the whole 7m fact but well, looks like I was quite ignorant.)

It's said that great writers express their feelings and thoughts in minimal of words and so did Rabindra Nath Tagore - "The Taj Mahal is a tear on the cheek of Eternity."








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  1. UnknownJanuary 12, 2014 at 6:57 AM

    The façade thing could be true for many monuments and tourist spots. When reading your post I recalled a mission I played in a Call of Duty Game, where a Sargent reveals that the President's secret exit from the White House is not at the East chamber(as tourists are shown), but at an unspecified corner of the West Chamber.

    Barring that however, a good read. I've never been to the Taj Mahal, but I'm sure I'd experience the same range of emotions you did.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Desert RoseJanuary 12, 2014 at 11:05 AM

    Thanks Harish. And yea it is the case in many monuments but you know being in such places which has such prominent tales to it, we just tend to meet those characters there. It is a strange feeling. A good one of course! Plan your trip soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJanuary 12, 2014 at 10:06 PM

    You should read about P.N. Oak's Taj Mahal "true story" which claims that the whole monument is a lie and it being a hindu temple originally. Interesting to read. History is written by the winning side anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Desert RoseMarch 17, 2014 at 11:28 AM

    Jose.. Yeah I have seen that. True. It is always about the winning side! Sorry.. Somehow didn't notice the comment earlier.

    ReplyDelete

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